A wonderful sight greeted us at our last meeting, tables laden with preserves brought by the speaker and the competition entries for Homemade Produce.

Carol welcomed new members, we have seven of them. Always room for more! Jenny gave us a summary of correspondence. A selection:

• Annual meeting May 10 new committee members will be needed. Please help to fill these vital roles

• Croome Court Project 25 and May 28

• Lucy Hingley Lecture May 28

• Food Show June 16, Birmingham

• Worcester Races evening July 26

• Summer outing: Hampton Court Palace, August 25.

With modern media we know more about world problems but to have a speaker who experienced the land grabs of the Mugabe/Nkomo regime was spine chilling. Dallas Maertens and husband, Marco, were given compensation of a meagre £1 per acre for their ranch in northern Zimbabwe, rich with minerals and safari facilities. Fearing for their lives and with 100 Youth Force on the land, they fled to Holland. A year later they returned to care for Dallas’s father on his farm near Bulawayo, making improvements to fences, irrigation and homes for workers as well as finding the cattle that had strayed or been stolen. In 2000 came the land grabs when war veterans and families were placed on farms and the owners forced to give up land. Marco was imprisoned for his refusal. Fearing for their lives they moved nearer to Bulawayo, again crops were confiscated. After the murder of another farmer in the area they left with few possessions and no money. They found work in the UK. Farming their own land was still the dream. In 2007 they bought land at Drakes Broughton. Since moving there in 2010 they have built up a stock of sheep, pigs and chickens. Now with a kitchen, butchery and deep freeze facilities, the farm produce is sold at farmers’ markets. Dallas makes jam, marmalade and chutney, the latter using her African recipes. I have made no attempt to describe the horrors of Zimbabwe, which continue today, this is a story you need to hear first hand.

Finally we got to try the produce and judge the competition entries. Well done Sheila.

Next meeting: Tuesday April 12 “My Life in Hats” with Catherine Clark. Competition: Picture or bring your favourite hat.

DIANE BARLOW